Recruitment 'not a distraction' for Romeo Langford, who remains even-keeled about it all

New Albany's Romeo Langford is a highly-touted recruit being pursued by IU and others.
Dakota Crawford

New Albany guard Romeo Langford (1) heads down court during a game against Silver Creek on Basketball Day Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. New Albany beat Silver Creek 65 to 72.(Photo: Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar)

NEW ALBANY – The autograph line begins just outside the New Albany locker room.

It meanders down the hall, so far the end isn’t even in sight. It’s somewhere around the corner, perhaps all the way into the cafeteria. Fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, husbands, wives — all queuing up for a minute with Indiana high school basketball’s latest living legend.

Jayhawks coach Bill Self was in town Friday night. Vanderbilt’s Bryce Drew brought his entire staff a couple of weeks ago, when New Albany played Cincinnati-area powerhouse Princeton. Archie Miller has been down from Bloomington routinely.

Everybody wants an audience with a player who will almost certainly finish his career among the state’s top five all-time in scoring, and likely spend just one season in college before heading to the NBA. With every milestone, every national broadcast, every famous face walking into the New Albany gym, every little detail seems intensified.

'You just can't stop him'

Is Romeo Langford more famous in Indiana than the governor? Than James Dean? Than Larry Bird?

That last one is probably stretching it. But increasingly, Langford sits on that end of the scale.

Less than an hour before that line began to form, Langford passed current Xavier standout and one-time Park Tudor star Trevon Bluiett for sixth on the state’s all-time scoring list. He tied Bluiett with a contested 3-pointer, then moved past him with a dunk that brought a packed gymnasium to its feet.

Some well-meaning player from Jasper saw Langford coming down the lane, and tried to position himself for a charge. But he slid over late, and for his effort lent another lasting image to the Legacy of Romeo.

“I run out of things to say. He rebounds, he defends, he blocks shots, he makes assists,” New Albany coach Jim Shannon says. “I wish I could tell you more, but he never ceases to amaze me.”

Shannon has coached Langford all four years of high school. They won a state title together in 2016, and came up just short last season.

“(A state title) would be the best thing, the perfect ending to my high school career,” Langford says. “I remember the feeling my sophomore year. I loved it. We know how it felt last year, coming up short. This is my last go-round. I want to end it off with a bang.”

So the Bulldogs work the perimeter, hitting the high post and keeping the ball moving. Langford only scores six points in the first quarter, but New Albany opens an 11-point lead.

Shannon will later credit Langford’s unselfishness, pointing out a turnover the 6-5 senior committed and joking, “If you’re gonna throw it away, just go down and shoot it.”

He also gets hot under the collar when Langford appears to get hooked by a Jasper player as he tries for a run-out layup. The referee in front of the play swallows his whistle as the ball goes out of bounds, prompting Shannon to call a timeout and spend most of it making his case for a foul, vociferously.

“I was just trying to protect him,” Shannon says later. “I always think the people on the other team are grabbing him.

“I’d probably grab him too. You just can’t stop him.”

Recruitment 'not a distraction'

It’s that people can’t stop him that makes Langford so special, and what keeps the parade of college coaches marching in and out of New Albany.

He moves through traffic easily. The form on his jump shot is smooth and consistent. There are moments when he looks less like a talented scorer and more like a natural conduit through which basketball ought to be run.

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New Albany guard Romeo Langford (1) watches for a rebound during a game against Silver Creek on Basketball Day Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. New Albany beat Silver Creek 65 to 72.
Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar

New Albany guard Romeo Langford (1) hits a big dink during a game against Silver Creek during Indiana Basketball Day at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. New Albany beat Silver Creek 65 to 72.
Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar

New Albany guard Romeo Langford (1) watches for a rebound during a game against Silver Creek on Basketball Day Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. New Albany beat Silver Creek 65 to 72.
Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar

New Albany guard Romeo Langford (1) sits on the bench before a game against Silver Creek on Basketball Day Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. New Albany beat Silver Creek 65 to 72.
Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar

New Albany guard Romeo Langford (1) sits on the bench before a game against Silver Creek on Basketball Day Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. New Albany beat Silver Creek 65 to 72.
Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar

New Albany guard Romeo Langford (1) watches for a rebound during a game against Silver Creek on Basketball Day Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. New Albany beat Silver Creek 65 to 72.
Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar

New Albany guard Romeo Langford (1) hits a big dink during a game against Silver Creek during Indiana Basketball Day at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. New Albany beat Silver Creek 65 to 72.
Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar

New Albany guard Romeo Langford (1) shoots a free-throw during a game against Silver Creek on Basketball Day Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. New Albany beat Silver Creek 65 to 72.
Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar

New Albany guard Romeo Langford (1) shoots for a lay up during a game against Silver Creek on Basketball Day Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. New Albany beat Silver Creek 65 to 72.
Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar

New Albany guard Romeo Langford (1) watches for a rebound during a game against Silver Creek on Basketball Day Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. New Albany beat Silver Creek 65 to 72.
Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar

New Albany guard Romeo Langford (1) flies to the hoop during a game against Silver Creek on Basketball Day Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. New Albany beat Silver Creek 65 to 72.
Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar

New Albany guard Romeo Langford (1) heads down court during a game against Silver Creek on Basketball Day Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. New Albany beat Silver Creek 65 to 72.
Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar

New Albany guard Romeo Langford (1) shoots a free-throw during a game against Silver Creek on Basketball Day Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. New Albany beat Silver Creek 65 to 72.
Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar

New Albany guard Romeo Langford (1) shoots a free-throw during a game against Silver Creek on Basketball Day Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. New Albany beat Silver Creek 65 to 72.
Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar

New Albany guard Romeo Langford (1) spots a loose ball during a game against Silver Creek on Basketball Day Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. New Albany beat Silver Creek 65 to 72.
Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar

Langford explodes in the second quarter, scoring 16 points and officially moving past Bluiett. He finishes the night with 38 points on 14-of-18 shooting, with eight rebounds and eight made 3-pointers. Many of them were contested. He’s now just behind Rick Mount for fifth all-time in scoring.

For at least the second night in a row, as Langford exits for good in the fourth quarter, a sizable section of the New Albany crowd chants “IU! IU! IU!” What does it mean?

“That the majority of them want me to go to IU,” Langford says, smiling sheepishly.

Just another reminder that yes, the recruitment is still very much going on. And that it, like Langford’s historic high school career, must soon reach its conclusion.

New Albany guard Romeo Langford (1) sits on the bench before a game against Silver Creek on Basketball Day Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. New Albany beat Silver Creek 65 to 72.(Photo: Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar)

“He said it was a good visit,” his father, Tim Langford, says. “He got a chance to sit close to the bench and watch coach Miller coach, see how he coached the team, and he said coach Miller gets the best out of his kids.”

Vanderbilt is next, though New Albany’s schedule means the Commodores might have to host Langford for a practice, rather than a game.

Kansas being a bit of a haul, travel-wise, Tim Langford says he’s not sure if Romeo or the family will get back to Lawrence again this season (the Langfords have already taken official visits to all three programs). But the Langfords are keeping a close eye on the Jayhawks on TV.

Increasingly, the world wants behind the curtain. Romeo Langford takes it all in stride.

“It’s not a distraction. He’s a pretty level kid. He’s been that way since a young age,” Tim Langford says. “I kind of taught him how to handle himself on the court. He took how he is on the court off the court. He knows how to handle the media, how to handle school, how to handle his team. He doesn’t let anything distract him.”

This poise weaves its way through Langford’s life on and off the floor. It should serve him well in college, where the competition level will increase and the spotlight will shine even brighter.

More and more, that feels just around the corner. It’s probably the reason that even New Albany’s blowout wins have been played in front of near sold-out crowds. They’ve been watching Romeo Langford for almost four years, but they’re running out of chances.

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New Albany High School senior Romeo Langford (1) drives the ball toward the baseline during the first half a varsity basketball game at Southport High School, Saturday, December 9, 2017. Southport hosted the Tip-Off Classic tournament through the weekend.
Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

New Albany guard Romeo Langford (1) sits on the bench before a game against Silver Creek on Basketball Day Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. New Albany beat Silver Creek 65 to 72.
Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar

New Albany High School senior Romeo Langford (1) takes the ball to the basket during the first half an IHSAA varsity basketball game at Carmel High School, Saturday, December 16, 2017.
Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

New Albany's Romeo Langford drives around Evansville North's Tanner Turpin on Friday.
New Albany's Romeo Langford (right) drives around Evansville North's Tanner Turpin (left) on Friday at New Albany High School.
David Hartlage/Special to the Co

New Albany guard Romeo Langford (1) heads down court during a game against Silver Creek on Basketball Day Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. New Albany beat Silver Creek 65 to 72.
Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar

New Albany High School senior Romeo Langford (1) slam dunks the ball during the first half an IHSAA varsity basketball game at Carmel High School, Saturday, December 16, 2017.
Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

David Hartlage/Special to The Courier-Journal
New Albany's Romeo Langford is averaging 28 points per game, highlighted by a school-record 44-point performance on Saturday.
New Albany's Romeo Langford (1) shoots against Evansville Harrison on Saturday at New Albany High School. Photo by David Lee Hartlage/Special to the Courier-journal. Dec. 05, 2015
David Lee Hartlage, David Hartlage/Special to the Co

Romeo Langford
New Albany head coach Jim Shannon (in back) watches as Romeo Langford (1) drives against Providence on Friday at New Albany High School. New Albany won 55-40.
David Lee Hartlage, David Lee Hartlage/Special to th

New Albany's #1 Romeo Langford is double teamed by North Central's #3 Mateo Rivera and #14 Emmanuel Little during the North Central vs New Albany basketball game of the Tip Off Classic at Southport Fieldhouse, Saturday, December 10, 2016. North Central won the game 84-60.
Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar

North Central's #14 Emmanuel Little moves around New Albany's #1 Romeo Langford to look for a shot during the North Central vs New Albany basketball game of the Tip Off Classic at Southport Fieldhouse, Saturday, December 10, 2016. North Central won the game 84-60.
Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar

New Albany High School senior Romeo Langford (1) puts up a shot during the first half a varsity basketball game at Southport High School, Saturday, December 9, 2017. Southport hosted the Tip-Off Classic tournament through the weekend.
Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

New Albany High School senior Romeo Langford (1) puts up a shot during the first half a varsity basketball game at Southport High School, Saturday, December 9, 2017. Southport hosted the Tip-Off Classic tournament through the weekend.
Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

New Albany High School senior Romeo Langford (1) puts up a shot during the first half a varsity basketball game at Southport High School, Saturday, December 9, 2017. Southport hosted the Tip-Off Classic tournament through the weekend.
Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

New Albany High School senior Romeo Langford (1) pulls down a rebound during the first half a varsity basketball game at Southport High School, Saturday, December 9, 2017. Southport hosted the Tip-Off Classic tournament through the weekend.
Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

New Albany High School senior Romeo Langford (1), left, and Fort Wayne North Side High School junior Keion Brooks (12) during the first half a varsity basketball game at Southport High School, Saturday, December 9, 2017. Southport hosted the Tip-Off Classic tournament through the weekend.
Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

New Albany High School senior Romeo Langford (1) its stopped en route to the basket by Fort Wayne North Side High School senior Brandan Johnson (1) during the first half a varsity basketball game at Southport High School, Saturday, December 9, 2017. Southport hosted the Tip-Off Classic tournament through the weekend.
Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

So they show up and watch, and afterward, many of them line up to meet him.

Romeo Langford has been doing this autograph routine since sectionals his sophomore season. At New Albany, they set a table up outside the locker room. On the road, the bus waits. Romeo doesn’t turn anyone down.

Saturday night, probably more than 100 people are in line. Romeo Langford spends 45 minutes signing and smiling.

A young boy and girl, dressed respectively in an IU jersey and an IU cheerleader’s outfit, pose for pictures. Langford signs a Cleveland Cavaliers hat, because hey, who knows? He even autographs a baby’s onesie.

And when they’re gone, every last one of them, Romeo Langford gets up, meets two media members who want to ask him questions he’s probably already answered about all of this, and then walks out of New Albany High School with his father.